Czech Republic: First two charges filed over violence in České Budějovice, experts fear more violence ahead

Two men who participated in recent unannounced demonstrations at the Máj housing estate have been delivered a ruling informing them that criminal proceedings have begun against them, the Czech Police report on their website. Experts are warning against violence linked with right-wing extremists who are organizing demonstrations there similar to those that have happened in North Bohemia in previous years.

The men are charged with felony violence against a public official. The younger of them participated in an unannounced march on the Máj housing estate on Saturday, 29 June 2013, where he repeatedly threw rocks at police officers in a nearby street. No one was injured by his efforts thanks to the officers’ specially designed equipment.  

"The older man participated in an unannounced assembly one week later. After the officers called on the mob to stop the illegal behavior, he began physically assaulting and verbally insulting the officers," the police report.

While the tactics of the leadership of the South Bohemian Regional Police during their first intervention into the unrest in České Budějovice completely failed, their second intervention was better. During the first incident officers allowed small groups of demonstrators to make it all the way to the Romani neighborhood and failed to intervene even as some demonstrators in the unannounced march on the Máj housing estate gave the Nazi salute and shouted racist slogans as they covered a distance of four kilometers. 

During the first unrest, police also dispersed a peaceful, pro-Romani assembly at the housing estate early, which can be interpreted as a violation of the Law on Police. By the second incident, however, the officers had learned from their experiences and obeyed the law themselves. 

The unrest in České Budějovice was started by a children’s scuffle at the housing estate’s sole playground, which was gradually joined by adults. Experts are warning that they do not like the fact that the situation was exploited as a pretext for unleashing further conflict by right-wing extremists, who are now organizing demonstrations in the town similar to the ones in North Bohemia in 2011 and 2012.

Petra Zahradníková, director of the Inclusio public benefit organization, expressed concern for the Romani families involved to news server Romea.cz:  "These repeated shows of force in České Budějovice, organized through social networking sites, have disrupted the daily lives of many households. Romani families with young children, under the pressure of these circumstances, have decided to take their children to safer places with relatives in other towns. The children are safe for now, but only because it is summer vacation and they don’t have to go to school! What will the families do when vacation is over?"

According to Pavel Fousek, a resident of the Máj housing estate, the town hall has totally neglected the integration of the Romani minority group. "Instead of equal opportunities, the town comes forward with projects like school classes only for Roma, which naturally does not bring these groups any closer together. Furthermore, the police have underestimated petty conflicts on both sides, i.e., also on the majority-society side. There are no activities here that all of the Máj residents might do together, like children’s days, for example, or football matches. All of this leads to a certain level of mutual grudges and xenophobia," Fousek told news server Novinky.cz.

According to Lubomír Pána, a political scientist who is Rector at the College of European and Regional Studies in České Budějovice, the cause of the unrest at the Máj housing estate is obvious given how the situation has developed. "The extremists exploited an ordinary playground conflict, of the kind that happens often throughout the country, to unleash further conflict. This is now escalating even in areas that are not socially excluded like the cases in North Bohemia were," Pána told news server Novinky.cz, pointing out that the expansive layout of the historical town of České Budějovice also helped the radicals spark unrest there.

Psychologist Rostislav Nesnídal sees the situation at the Máj housing estate as a long-term problem. "The question is how many people in the mob heading for the housing estate are from neo-Nazi groups and how many see clashing with police as a way to get their adrenaline going, as entertainment. Unfortunately, at such demonstrations we even see mothers with children in prams who just want to express their opinion," Nesnídal said, adding that similar societal conflicts definitely cannot be resolved in one or two days.

"People are no longer bothered about attending the same demonstration as the neo-Nazis," political scientist Miroslav Mareš commented to news server iDNES.cz. In his view, the problem is the result of generalizations that tar all Romani people with the same brush.

"For Romani people, this justifiably gives them the sense that they are all being subjected to discrimination and menace. It is the clans or gangs who cause specific troubles that should be focused on. Politicians should be more empathetic and ensure that people feel safe," Mareš said.